Sunday, 3 July 2011

Monday, 11 April 2011

The pace of this academic year is moving very quickly. Too quickly. Ahhh! I was rather surprised to find a photograph of our empty studio at the beginning of fourth year. Now for a comparison...

Before:After:Please note that not everything is mine - I do share that space with two other people.

Now with around three weeks to go before we can install our work I have dusted off my diary and have most things planned. I tend to focus my work around repetitive and laborious processes, such as the knitting and sewing, however, I decided that mimicking the pattern from my tablecloth onto some board would be an excellent idea. Three days and two whole pencils later and it is complete! That's all for now.

Friday, 18 March 2011

I've been having a think during the knitting up of this yarn and decided on the name 'Abandoned Circus' because of the dull rusty and mossy tones mixed in with the bright primary red and yellow. But, just like my unsure feelings over the yellow fibres, I feel the name may soon be changed. Either way it is ending up on the wall or around my neck. Or both!

This is the progress so far:

With hands beginning to feel like claws, I should manage to complete this during my weekend work commute. Hmm...which fibres to blend next...

Wednesday, 16 March 2011

And as the 20th of May approaches, my creative side is becoming drained. With panicked thoughts about the future being pushed aside, I have been working on a few new yarns and a few new projects.

In particular, I have a newly spun skein of yarn drying in my bathroom as we speak. It is a combination of corriedale, merino and black diamond bamboo tops. Due to the bamboos silk-like quality most of it ended up awkwardly stuck between the teeth on my drum carder.

Here are the fibres before blending:

Blended batts:When I started to spin I decided that I actually didn't really enjoy the yellow colour mixed in with the other fibres, but I persevered and the outcome seems to be alright, I guess...

Tomorrow calls for a new knitted piece and I think this yarn will knit up quite nicely. I will post the progress in a few days!

Saturday, 15 January 2011

Over the past few days, legs and ears have been appearing in my handbag. Knitted ones of course. If you haven't discovered Knitty yet, do so here! I have recently been working on a pattern from one of their back issues. Kate is a little toy cat, although I prefer to call mine Henry.

Wednesday, 12 January 2011

Dissertation has been bound and ready to hand in, and as a reward and belated birthday gift I have purchased a drum carder. Although it was rather expensive in comparison to a pair of hand carders, after having it out of the box for 20 minutes I had already managed to blend 60g of fibres. Blending 60g of fibre on a hand carder would normally take me most of an evening.

So far, I have completed blending a merino and corriedale mix that I was working on before the drum carder arrived. Now I have finished a 20% tussah silk, 30% corriedale and 60% merino blend in a wonderful selection of light greens, turquoise and brown (with the bright white of silk shining through).